The connection to a trainer
by KittyBoops
Summary: A re-telling of the Pokemon Sun/Moon canon, focusing on what may have happened off screen between Moon (female protag) and Lillie. Will eventually be canon divergent, as the ending of the story quests angers me. Contains major story spoilers - if you want to remain spoiler free and have not returned to aether sanctuary in the story, this is not the place to start.
1. Chapter 1

**Contains story spoilers for Pokemon Sun/Moon. This chapter contains spoilers from the return to aether sanctuary segment (after completing the third island)**

Far in the distance, the roiling clouds flashed. Though it had been many hours since the storm had covered the sky, the sounds of thunder and flashes of lightning still managed to keep Lillie from embracing sleep fully. It seemed every time she barely nodded off, some far away sound or light awakened her, bringing back painful awareness of the night's earlier events. News didn't travel fast in Alola, but reports had already started coming into the Aether foundation's base about the appearance of many Ultra Beasts across the islands.

Fortunately, it seemed things were mostly under control. The beasts had retreated from the combined assaults of the kahunas and the island's guardians, disappearing without any identifiable trace. Somehow these alien creatures were gone, just like Lillie's mother - no leads, no trail, and to top things off, no apparent way to call them back to the earth.

Lillie sighed and sat up. Sleep apparently was not forthcoming and lying in bed only led her mind to wander, leading again to the depressing reality of her situation. Glancing to the foot of her childhood bed, she noticed that Nebby's slumbering form had floated slightly out of her bag. She reached down, gently pushing the sleeping Pokémon, who provided a slight resistance as it slipped back into her gear bag. Thinking for a second, she pulled out her laptop and zipped the long duffel shut.

The computer opened with a brightness that made the young woman squint and rub what remained of her tiredness from her eyes. The news website homepage still had frantic reports from all across the islands, some contradicting each other, some agreeing, but all painting a grim picture of the things that had transpired. A consensus of impending disaster and questions of what was to come scrolled down the page.

"Hey." Lillie started, slamming the laptop shut in surprise. After her eyes readjusted to the extremely dim light from the cloudy sky outside, she picked out the form of another teenager in the doorway to her room. Moon was wrapped in a heavy blanket, probably stolen from the guest bed that Wicke had shown her to. Moon smiled slightly. "Do I want to know what you were looking at to make you shut that so quickly?" Lillie felt her cheeks and the back of her neck instantly heat, and knew they were likely bright red even in the darkened room.

"It was nothing! I just got surprised by you, that's all…" Lillie looked down at the bed, trying to disguise her embarrassment. Moon giggled, walking over to sit on the edge, still tightly gripping the blanket around her shoulders. She sat facing away from Lillie, gazing out the window.

"Sorry to barge in like this. I tried to get some sleep but everything that's happened kept me awake." She thoughtfully watched as the clouds lit again with a distant bolt of lightning. "Or, maybe it was Hau's snoring." Unable to help herself, Lillie let out a snort of amusement, but quickly felt the gravity of their shared situation collapse onto her. The girls sat like this, Moon gazing out the window and Lillie gazing at Moon for what seemed like an eternity until Moon finally broke the silence.

"Do you think they're ok?" Moon turned, meeting Lillie's eyes. It was a simple question really. The answer was not nearly as simple. Both Guzma and Lusamine had been sucked into a portal, ending up wherever the Ultra Beasts hailed from.

"I… I like to think so." Lillie looked down at her hands, gripping the edge of the bedspread tightly. "We don't know the extent of the research that my mother did on that place. I feel like she wouldn't have gone nearly as willingly if it had been dangerous." Lillie let out a small sarcastic snort. "The only thing she cared more for than 'beauty' was – is herself." She felt a burning in her eyes, and tears began to drip onto the patterned quilt. "I'm just starting to figure out why she dressed me the way she did." She weakly gestured to her now hanging dress and hat. "I think she wanted me to look like… Look like one of those things."

Moon glanced over at the offending clothing and gasped. "Lillie! That's absolutely terrible!" In a matter of moments, before the smaller girl could respond, Moon had dropped her blanket cloak and leapt across the bed to hug her friend. Lillie immediately tensed, but something made her relax just as quickly. Lillie tentatively wrapped her hands around the back of Moon's waist and buried her face into the crook of the red-haired girl's neck, silently shaking from the sobs that suddenly seemed to pour out. Moon was warm and inviting, unlike the quick, almost disciplined embraces her mother had given in the past. Lillie had always shied away from those short moments of contact, but something in what Moon provided that the blonde's mom did not kept the girl feeling comfortable.

Lillie's tears finally slowed, stopping after a few minutes of being held. Moon had at some point started stroking Lillie's head. The smaller girl was suddenly painfully aware that between Moon wearing nothing besides a bra and underpants and her own very thin pajamas that the contact was a bit more intimate than perhaps either had intended. She leapt backwards into the headboard, pulling the covers up to nearly her chin. She felt her cheeks redden again, and Moon's did the very same.

"Oh! I'm…" Moon frantically reached for the cover she had been using, scrambling around the bed without much avail for a short while. "I didn't even think… it gets so warm here that I…" She finally managed to wrap the thick blanket back around herself, looking up at Lillie, mortified. "I'm so sorry Lillie! I usually sleep in so little and every night in Alola is so hot I… I just didn't think before I grabbed at you." She was now staring at the bed more than Lillie had, absentmindedly clenching and unclenching her fists. "I just… I wanted to make you forget about that horrible woman." After a few seconds Lillie finally found the courage to speak.

"Moon, I… didn't mind. I really liked it actually." Lillie wondered if her cheeks could get any redder, and felt as if they would be practically glowing at this point from the heat rising in her face. She let the covers fall back to her lap and caught the other girl's eyes when she looked up. "This whole night has been one crazy thing followed by a horrible thing followed on top of things that none of us can understand." The tears had started again, flowing without abandon this time. "I don't think I should be alone. And… And I really liked that" This time, Lillie was the one who moved forward, pushing her hands beneath the sheets that wrapped her friend and pulling the two of them back together. "Can you spend the night in here with me?"

Moon grasped the other girl tightly, then gently pushed her away to look her in the eyes. "I will be here for you Lillie. And if you want me to help you by staying here I promise I will." Quickly squeezing Lillie tightly, Moon released her and dropped the blankets she had been using onto the floor. Lillie shifted her position to one side of the bed, and Moon climbed under the covers with her. For a while, both laid in silence, staring at the ceiling and unsure of how to proceed or what to do. Lillie finally took the initiative, rolling over so that her head was lying just below Moon's chin. Moon shifted slightly onto her side to make the position more comfortable, putting her arms around the other girl's back.

After a few minutes of being held, Lillie considered breaking the seemingly pregnant silence by thanking Moon for her choice to stay. Glancing upwards she noticed that Moon had closed her eyes, and the slow movements of her chest seemed to betray that the taller girl had fallen asleep. Lillie closed her own eyes, settling into the hollow that had been created for her as they laid together. Something about this felt completely right, like something that had been missing before had suddenly been found. Feeling her own sleep begin to take her, Lillie let herself drift away in the arms of her best friend.


	2. Chapter 2

**This chapter contains story spoilers for the very end of the return to aether paradise**

Lillie slowly woke, the moon shining dimly through the thick curtains. It took a moment to remember exactly what had happened the previous night, but it eventually came tumbling back. She started, realizing that at some point during the night she had ended up turning over; Moon had draped an arm over her, pulling the two girls close together. Moon stirred in her sleep, murmuring something intelligible. Lillie, doing her best to not wake the other sleeping girl, slid out from under her arm as quietly as possible.

She stood for a moment, looking at Moon's relaxed form. Lillie marveled at how calmly she could sleep, especially with the moon now shining directly in her face, not to mention everything that had occurred. The thought crossed her mind that perhaps, what had happened last night had in fact leant itself to a calming and restful night. Despite everything, the two girls had spent the night together.

Lillie blushed, quickly looking away. She needed to get dressed for the day anyway.

A few minutes later, she was standing in front of the mirror she had found in the closet. The new hoodie and skirt she had picked up in Malie seemed to fit comfortably, and while there was less room in the backpack she carried now compared to her old bag, it let her move a lot more freely. She gently pushed the sleeping Nebby into the bottom, trying not to catch a glimpse of her old dress and hat that she had shoved back into the corner of the closet. Glancing over her shoulder one last time at Moon, she smiled and headed outside.

Moon woke to the sound of doors throughout the house. It took her a moment to figure out where she was, but the earlier night's events came rushing back in a blur. She snapped up, checking the room. Everything looked just as it had when she stumbled in: clinical, pristine, and untouched. The only difference was a small pile of clothes by the door, and the moon shining through the window. Lillie was nowhere to be seen.

Moon realized that the clothes by the door were hers, along with her bag. Climbing out of bed, she began to change, hoping that whomever had set them out for her hadn't seen her and Lillie. Though, maybe she didn't care. Maybe she wanted to show the world that Lillie was more comfortable with her.

Moon finished dressing and adjusted the bag on her shoulder, shaking the confusing feelings about her friend from her head. Maybe today would bring some answers, but if the last days had been any indication, it would instead bring more questions. She was startled by a gentle knock at the door. Wicke walked in, her gentle smile not accusatory or questioning.

"Miss Lillie is waiting outside, if you're ready to meet her." As the admin left, Moon realized that she had been holding her breath, braced for something more serious. Letting out a sigh, Moon headed outside the house.

Standing outside was one of the best sights she had ever seen. Upon exiting, she immediately saw Lillie's long blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail, hanging over a small pink backpack. She had gotten rid of the old white dress and large floppy hat for the sake of a white hoodie she wore above a small pleated white shirt. Lillie turned around.

"Oh!" She noticed Moon taking in her outfit. "I picked these clothes up in Malie. Do you think they suit me?"

"Sure do! You look great!" Moon replied, smiling widely. Lillie looked more comfortable, and the horrible similarity that her mother had sought was gone.

"Oh Moon, thank you!" She smiled back, but quickly sobered down. "I feel like there's so much I have to do now... To save Nebby... To save my mother." Lillie gripped the straps of her backpack a little tighter. "I... I want to be like you Moon. I want to be strong enough to face any trial. That's why I'm going to try my hardest. This is my Z-Powered form!" Raising her arms, Lillie began trying to emulate the Z-move dance she had seen many trainers do. When she reached the final pose, Moon couldn't hold back her laughter any longer. Lillie snorted, watching the trainer react to her display. She eventually had to snicker, and then full on laugh as well, the two girls giggling and smiling together.

"So this is where you were." Lillie looked up, suppressing the last of her laughs. Gladion approached them both, holding out a strange purple flute with some kind of symbol on the stem. "I found this downstairs. It's the moon flute. It's apparently an artifact from Alola's past. They say it's to be played under the moon's light." Lillie took the flute, turning it over in her hands. Gladion continued, "The sun flute and the moon flute. When sounded together, it's said that they can call the legendary Pokémon." This time, it was Gladion that laughed, short and sarcastic. "That is, if you believe in old myths anyway. Looks to me like that woman was planning to add the legendary Pokémon to her little collection here." Moon and Lillie both shuddered, remembering the frozen Pokémon beneath them.

"Here." Gladion held out one more object, a purple Pokeball with a small "m" printed on the top. "It's a master ball. It can catch any Pokémon without fail. I'm counting on you to help Lillie. This is the least I can do." As Moon reached over to take the orb, he leaned over and quietly spoke so Lillie couldn't hear. "And if you hurt her I will find you and pay you back tenfold." Moon slowly moved back, wondering if he saw something between Lillie and herself that she couldn't define.

"But what are you going to do Gladion?" Lillie piped up, unaware of the short exchange. Gladion sighed.

"Deal with this mess. I've got to clean up Aether Paradise. I'd wanted to get as far away from this place as I could, together with null. But in the end, it looks like I ended up right back here again."

"Moon!" All three looked over at Hau, who had managed to find his way outside. Moon wondered briefly how he had slept even longer than her. Hau ran over and appraised Lillie's new look. "Hey, and its Lillie isn't it?! What happened to you?" Lillie turned to him and beamed, leading something inside Moon to twinge strangely.

"Yes it's me! Now I'm ready to use my full force too!" Lillie bounced on her heels slightly, obviously wanting to get moving.

"You look..." Hau thought for a split second, then a wide smile crossed his face. "Fantastic!" Gladion spun to look him up and down.

"What was that?" Hau seemed to miss the accusatory tone that the older boy had set.

"I'm going to train even harder! I've gotta do more! I keep getting saved by moon and her Pokémon, don't I?" He placed his hands behind his head and leaned back a bit. "That's not enough. I've gotta be able to save Pokémon on my own!"

Moon wasn't fully listening. As Gladion and Hau prattled on she closely watched Lillie, who was jumping into the conversation every now and then. Moon, however, stayed quiet. The three other young teens had been a valuable group to have at her side, but something about Lillie specifically was making her head swirl. Gladion had an intense forwardness, and he had seen something that Moon wasn't sure was there or not. Hau's boundless energy was a welcome sight after a long journey, but deep inside she felt like he was stepping over her emotions somehow, twisting her feelings indescribably. And then there was Lillie...

"I can get you to the next island at least. Poni Island. I'll wait for you at the docks." Gladion said, as Moon snapped back to the real world. He stalked off, heading towards his personal boat. Hau waved to the other two and ran off after him. Lillie turned to Moon.

"Come on Moon! Let's show the world what we can really do!" Lillie chirped, surprising Moon by grabbing her hand. Moon was helpless as Lillie dragged her across Aether paradise, moving forward towards where hopefully answers would be found.

 **I don't like breaking story for author notes but I do want to address - Thank you for the comments and kudos. Also, I'm totally aware that Lillie is taller than Moon. I also decided to change that I guess? Sorry... Also apologies for having this chapter not contain much original content. I promise the next chapter will be back to gay shit.**


	3. Chapter 3

**This chapter contains spoilers for poni island**

Moon held her hat to her head as Gladion's boat rapidly approached what she could best make out to be a series of docks. She saw boats moored at almost every possible location, but Gladion eventually found an open spot. She wasn't exactly happy that Gladion drove his boat like a madman, but not angry either. Lillie had tightly gripped Moon's hand the entire trip, alternatively laughing and quietly squeaking as the wind whipped through the girls' hair. As they disembarked onto the docks and Moon took in the sights of the new island, Lillie quietly blushed and pulled away from the other girl's hand.

"Poni island." Gladion looked around the near deserted docks, sounding exasperated. "Almost no one lives on it, but you'll find a whole lot of nature to explore here.

Go. Find the kahuna." He brushed the blonde hair slightly out of his eyes, continuing. "The kahuna of poni island also protects the shrine where alola's people worship the legendary pokemon. Maybe they will know something that might help you."

"Gladion. Thank you for this." Lillie's smile faded, turning to a frown. "But... but when you took null and left aether paradise two years ago... you left me alone with mother! She was so bad after you left! If I hadn't had wicke with me..." Gladion sighed.

"I'm sorry... I wasn't there for you when you needed me. All I could think about back then was finding a way to save null. That was the battle I was fighting. But now you've found your own battle to fight." The boy looked over Lillie, taking in her determined eyes and her forward stance. His eyes caught Moon, standing behind Lillie. Though she kept her distance, allowing the siblings room, Gladion sensed her willingness to jump in at any moment. His expression, normally stoic and disappointed, softened. "I know you can handle it." Moving to his boat, he muttered to himself, "You have someone to watch your back this time."

After the two girls watched the boat speed off towards the distant aether paradise, Lillie turned to Moon. "Moon. I'm ok. You don't have to worry. I know what I have to do now." She giggled. "I don't know. Maybe it sounds strange but... I'm kind of excited."

"I understand completely," Moon laughed.

The next few hours sped by in a blur. Moon felt like she suddenly snapped to, as if she were on autopilot up until this moment. She was sitting in a small coastal cave next to Lillie. It was raining, and the friends watched the slow rivulets of water run past them deeper into the tiny alcove. Without thinking, Moon found herself holding the other girl's hand, silently running her thumb over her palm. It was strange, feeling the softness compared to her own rough and hardened fingers.

"Looking out at the rain like this reminds me of this one time when I was little." Lillie remained staring forward, not pulling her hand away. "I'd seen it in a movie, this man singing and dancing in the rain. It captivated me so much that I had to try it myself. My mother spotted me out in the rain, and she was so shocked she ran right out after me without even bothering to get an umbrella." Moon almost spoke up, but Lillie continued. "And then... she smiled... and she danced with me in the rain. Of course we both ended up catching cold. She let me sleep in her big bed with her. I was so happy that I kept waking her again and again, just to be sure it wasn't a dream." Lillie stood, moving to the mouth of the grotto. Quietly, Moon stood and went to stand by her. Tears streamed down the blonde's face, mingling with the fat drops of rain that fell from the dangling roots above.

"But... then she changed. And all she would think about was the ultra beasts. And null, and Nebby.

The both ended up suffering so much... and I couldn't do anything." Lillie sniffed, ineffectually wiping her face with her sleeve. "But you know what moon? Whenever I feel like there's nothing I can do, you seem to show up and... you do something. Every time, you've shown me it's possible to do something. Even the first time we met. Nebby was being attacked and all I could do was look on in horror... and at aether paradise, all I could do was wait for you and the others to save me." She smiled at Moon, and Moon felt something inside herself jump. "Whenever I'm in any sort of trouble you're always there..."

Again, the two stood together in silence. Moon fought her growing desire to grab Lillie as Lillie had grabbed her, run out into the rain and forget about everything left behind. Lillie finally turned to the other, surprising Moon by firmly grabbing her hands. "I... um, moon? What are you going to do once you finish the island challenge?"

"I don't know." Moon found herself lost in Lillie's eyes, registering the contact between them and little else. Her head was spinning, thoughts unable to collect themselves.

"Oh thank goodness!" Lillie burst into a wide smile, still tightly grasping the other girl's hands. "It's such a relief to know that even someone like you feels unsure at times Moon! I think... I'd like to become a trainer too. And travel together with you, moon."

The kiss wasn't intentional, or at least it didn't seem so. Moon hadn't meant to allow herself to close that gap, quickly meeting Lillie's lips with hers. Lillie stood, silent again, as Moon frantically wondered how to take the last couple seconds back. She tried to pull away, but Lillie's hands only clenched tighter around hers. Finally, after seconds that dragged into eternity Moon opened her mouth to apologize, say something, anything. Lillie finally released Moon's hands, and raised one finger to the other's lips. The blonde smiled, then leaned forward. This time, the contact was longer. The two girls embraced, neither wanting the moments of touch and brushing lips to end, neither allowing the rain to interrupt what time they had together alone.

Minutes later, as the rain slowed, the two girls sat together, still holding tightly each other, watching a rainbow form in the sky outside. Lillie pointed outside. "Ah! Maybe there are good omens sometimes, wouldn't you say?" Moon smiled, resting her head onto Lillie's shoulder, nodding.


End file.
